


So a Shield and a Tactician Walk into a Bar

by thepointman



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 15:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16098851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepointman/pseuds/thepointman
Summary: Opportunities present themselves as Gladio runs into an old friend/coworker on a rare evening away from his duties as shield.





	So a Shield and a Tactician Walk into a Bar

To Anna.  
-  
Gladio was not one to waste opportunities or sit around in general even on a weekday and tonight had handed him a prime one; the prince had been called early out of training to meet with his father and this not only opened up the shield’s schedule, but gave him a jump on getting ready. Showered, dressed, beard trimmed, cologne-ed, and then phone, keys and wallet were in hand, check. There was nothing worse than being let into the Amicitia household blearily in the rosy hours of dawn, except maybe bumming someone’s phone to ask Jared to pick him up and drunkenly apologizing the entire time.

Not that he was planning inherently to get shitfaced, it just might. But, on the other hand, the thought of bringing someone home instead made him double-triple check he still had his keys. Gladio held his vows to the crown closest to his chest, but a craving to have someone laying on it, even for a night, had begun to appear more insistently in his thoughts. A pulsing rise in libido had soon followed like an old itch and being tired, evening meetings, training Noctis, working out, and then hanging out with the crown prince on low key babysitting duty finally gave way to a kind of claustrophobia. 

Well, he could start with a drink and see where it went later, the beast would be fed but he didn’t have to hurry to sate it with the entire evening ahead of him and a fresh segment of the eagle stretching across his shoulders healed up nicely just in time for the next gun show. One of the other Crownsguard had mentioned some new gimmicky bar had opened up. Was it Prompto? He couldn’t remember now, though knowing the other it was probably a ploy to get Gladio to sneak him in more for the novelty of it than actually drinking. The guy was a lightweight, tipsy after one heavily supervised beer sip. 

“Hey you know where this new place is,” He stopped someone on the street he recognized as doing page work for the Council, pausing in thought. “Uh, Night and Day?” 

The man nodded and he thought he glimpsed a hint of a smile, pointing a thumb behind him. “Two rights and a left, big sign you can’t miss it.” Gladio nodded a thank you as the other already began to walk past him. His directions lead to stately brick building with a large neon sign of a moon and sun, beams slowly radiating from both in a cycle. 

“Subtle.” 

A short woman looked him over in vague recognition at the hostess station before smiling and holding up two different menus. “Hello, welcome to Night and Day. We’re a cafe and lounge. We serve alcohol and coffee, just in separate areas.” Gladio took an alcohol menu and she nodded politely before turning back to her phone at the hostess station.

He entered the Night side of the club to a room decorated with deep purples and blues with silver fixtures, swathes of plush fabrics draped the walls to create a cool intimacy. Coffee at night really wasn’t his thing and was more of a utility he’d rather not build a tolerance to. But he could think of someone who might enjoy that, smile extending beyond friendliness to the bartender as he ordered when he thought of someone else’s slight addiction to Ebony. 

And speak of the devil. A shock of ash blonde appeared at one of the small tables when he turned to check out the room while waiting for his drink. 

“Hey, Specs!” He paid for his beer and double checked it wasn’t someone else before booming warmly. The tactician’s head darted up, but then he smiled with his arms crossed.

“I didn’t expected to see you here.” Gladio teased. 

“I’m pleasantly surprised as well, I suppose we both had our evenings freed by the prince taking consul with the king.” Ignis’s gaze drifted between him and the seat next to him as he continued to stand at the table. 

“Hey, you deserve the night off, too. I didn’t want to interrupt your evening just because we work together.” Gladio suddenly needed something to do with his hands and noticed his beer wasn’t open, missing the briefest glance at his arm flexing slightly to pull the top off. 

“Nonsense, we’re more than coworkers. I would appreciate your company.” Ignis smiled. “And I promise not to talk about “work” either.” He added laughing.

“Hey, I wasn’t trying to blow you off because you’re dedicated.” Gladio gratefully settled in and leaned back casually. His earlier vague plans drifted forward as he looked at the other man while trying to pretend he was just interested in the conversation. 

Cute little Ignis had grown from pretty into sublimely beautiful while they were both busy with Noct, the silvery lighting of the bar catching his cheekbones and jaw like moon glow. And more so seemed to know it, based on how he postured elegantly. Even the hand on his drink was posed, thumb tracing over some condensation. 

“So, um, what do you do on your days off?” Gladio finally said, noticing it was dead quiet between them. Ignis cocked an eyebrow. 

“What do you imagine I do?” He answered in turn evenly. 

“I...don’t have a flattering answer for that one, Specs.” The shield admitted, rubbing his neck.

“I’m afraid I don’t have one for what I imagine you do, either.” Ignis uncrossed his arms in thought. 

Gladio cleared his throat to keep his immediate thoughts from bubbling up as his noticed what the other was wearing. Unlike his usual neatly tailored, modest almost uniform like outfits, Ignis sported a white deeply open collared shirt with a slightly ruffled edge to the neckline and similar trimming around his wrists tucked into soft gray slacks. A small silver star gleamed between his collarbones and Gladio swore something metallic highlighted them, black thin suspenders drew the eye even further to his display of what was frankly decolletage. Was he getting that unperceptive? He really was slipping from a lack of time off. 

Much later on, he would describe Ignis’s outfits like poetry. Each item picked out and arranged with motifs that created a flow of themes, effortless and elegant in its efficiency. But for now he had to take a deep draught from his beer to put all that pale skin out of his eyeline and stop his thoughts from buzzing. 

“So,” Ignis began, seeming to not miss a beat. “Perhaps we should focus on what could do with our time off instead of speculation.” 

Gladio bit back “I have an idea.” and cleared his throat again. “I guess so.” 

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Gladio, this isn’t a date.” Ignis’s eyes were half lidded and merry as he looked at him over the rim of his cocktail. 

“What made you think about that?” It was the shield’s turn to quirk an eyebrow. 

“Something people do in their time off, I suppose, which is the topic at hand.” 

“Fair enough, I mean, if you wanted to ask me on a date you could just say so.” A genuine laugh came from deep in his chest. Ignis’s usual clipped sarcasm only reinforced how silly it was to get flustered over someone he had known forever and who was also bound by the same oaths as him to be part of the crownsguard. 

Ignis sent him a side glance. “Is that ridiculous?” 

“I mean,” Gladio began. “It’s not because you…” Alcohol usually loosened his tongue instead of making it flub around useless, but maybe it was better to not say outright what was on his mind. 

“I what?” The other prompted helpfully, setting his drink down.

“Yeah I’d go on a date with you, it just doesn’t seem like you’d want to date me, if that makes sense.” Gladio managed, carefully peeling the edge of the beer label up so he wouldn’t have to meet Ignis’s inquisitive gaze. 

“Why is that?” The chamberlain’s head cocked slightly.

“Hey, I really don’t want to play games.” 

“No one is playing a game.” Ignis asserted calmly, suddenly much closer to him and concern in his gaze. Whatever he saw on Gladio’s face, his lithe fingers reached up and cupped his chin.

“Why would I ever be cruel to you?” The shield blinked, unable to avoid the other anymore or how his thoughts raced at soft lips forming each word so close to him.

“I don’t think you would be…?” He trailed off vaguely. 

“But would you kiss me?” Gladio asked impulsively, feeling the other shiver through the fingers on his jaw. Maybe it was just Ignis being close to him, touching him and wearing that shirt of all things under the silvery glow of the bar, his green eyes soft. 

He boldly took the tactician’s hand from his face, kissing the center of the palm chastley. Something drew him to this man, years of admiration and comradery blooming into a need for him. Maybe it was just good chemistry for a night together when he was touch starved, but it was magnetic. 

Ignis was silent but his gaze was slightly wide and inquisitive as Gladio took his hand in both of his post-kiss, looking at the small scar where his lips had brushed. 

“Knife…learning to debone.” He finally supplied. 

“That’s hot.” Gladio answered, now on a roll with just letting his impulses lead judging by the flush of pink that touched the tactician’s features.

“I was twelve…” Ignis attempted to admonish. 

“Still pretty cool.” Heat radiating from the other’s face as he mumbled about how silly it was to find an old cooking scar “hot” and “cool”.

“All of you is, hot I mean.” The shield stated, clearly eavesdropping on Ignis talking to himself. 

The other pushed his glasses up with an exhale, looking sideways at him. “You are no slouch yourself.” His expression softened from embarrassment to amusement and then finally tenderness. 

“Oh, nothing about the abs or gun show?” Gladio laughed. “Iggy you’re in a league of your own.” He clapped the other warmly on the shoulder. It was getting addictive to touch the other so casually. 

“Anybody could appreciate your muscles.” Ignis pulled the chain of his necklace straight with one finger after being jostled. “And it’s not that I don’t.” He paused to shake his head at the shield’s grin, smiling himself. 

“Well yeah, I meant what I said about you working hard earlier. And I don’t think just anyone could put their back into this job.” Gladio laughed. “You have more patience for Noct than I do a lot.” His eyes were a molten amber. “It’s my family’s duty to protect the crown and I think you’re up to snuff.” Ignis’s ears and cheeks flushed a very subtle shade of pink. 

“Now, I need another drink.” He got up, stretching to roll some of elated tension out of his shoulders after flirting so boldly. Gladio dodged a couple who appeared from a door on the far side of the room, they clutched to each other laughing breathlessly. 

“What’s that way?” He pondered, turning back to the other. “And where are my manners speaking of being an Amicitia, can I get you anything else?”

“Oh, there’s a dance floor I believe, connecting the different sides.” Ignis looked down at his glass. “I’m fine.” He cleared his throat, fiddling with the garnish to his drink. “I...skipped lunch moving things around for Noctis to prevent this evening’s change of plans from disrupting his schedule too much.” 

“Well,” It was Gladio’s turn to cross his arms. “I was going to ask you to dance, but I think I get the pleasure instead of asking you to dinner.”

“Really I’m fine. I-” 

“Being used to not eating doesn’t really help your case.” The shield laughed. “Nothing fancy if that’s what you’re worried up, you pick. Most places should still be open.”

“I suppose,” Ignis said tentatively. “We could get some street food. There’s some great stands in the area.” 

“That’s the spirit.” The other beamed. 

Ignis looked even more beautiful outside, dusk falling nicely on his pretty features. Gladio kept glancing covertly over at his small smile of anticipation. 

He insisted on paying after suggesting it in the first place, promising the other could pay him back. Ignis didn’t seem to want to sit still, pacing until their food was ready and then heading further down the street. 

“I used to grab something quick here in between council meetings, they do delicious seasonal offerings.” He said to the shield, stopping and waiting for the other to catch up. 

“I’ll have to try them.” Gladio answered in honest earnestness. Ignis’s food excitement was always infectious.Then again, seeing the other excited over anything was it’s own gift. Food was just easier to understand than some important zoning procedures under review or Noctis not totally flunking something at the last minute.

“You like octopus?” 

“Sure, I’ve never met an octopus I didn’t like.” 

Ignis actually turned around to quirk an eyebrow at him, walking several steps backwards with lean grace. “They start serving it for a short time in the fall, I associate it with the leaves changing on this avenue.” 

“I’d like to see that, if you aren’t too busy then?” Gladio was sure Ignis had the next thirty years plotted down in his calendar down to the minute, he probably had everything already lined up for fall. 

“I...could probably find some time...for you.” The tactician paused in thought. “We don’t spend enough time together.” He pressed his lips together, eyes slowing moving back and forth as if internally debating something. 

“Here, try this. You didn’t get one of these with your order.” Ignis held a piece of food up to him. 

Gladio blinked, but accepted and sighed with relish. 

“Holy shit that’s good!” He stared openly at Ignis’s little grin. 

“I should have told you to order it, but that would have been a gamble and I didn’t want to come off bossy. I can make this for you, it’s pretty easy once you have the beef marinated.” The other preened. 

“I think I’d propose on the spot.” Gladio laughed, boldly patting the tactician on the back. 

Ignis froze for a moment and just before the shield thought he should bite his tongue smiled again, offering him another bite of food Gladio took graciously. 

“I didn’t think it would that easy to win over the shield of the crown, that’s a major weakness in our security.” He joked and adjusted his glasses with a free hand.

“Well, it’s not just that. And I don’t just mean other recipes.” The shield teased back. 

“I guess this was kind of a date.” He added, smiling as he remembered his earlier plans. 

Ignis nodded with an unreadable expression. 

“It is getting late and we both have the same early morning.” He finally said quietly. Gladio opened his mouth, but Ignis continued. 

“If we went on a date, I’d want to have more time with you without worrying I’m interfering with your duties.” 

Gladio’s mouth closed and the tactician smiled wanly. “So we should do this again sometime. Soon.” He finished. 

“Sounds like plan.” The shield beamed. “You probably know my calendar as well as yours, just hit me up with a time.” 

“I will.” Ignis promised solemnly. 

“I suppose we should should say goodnight then.” He added promptly, but leaned back on his heels as if reluctant to go. 

“I suppose.” Gladio nodded, leaning in to brush an errant bit of the other’s hair back and then going for a forehead kiss before he could stop himself. 

The tactician’s eyes widened then narrowed with that private smile Gladio was already hopelessly addicted to witnessing, tilting his head up so their lips met instead. It was the briefest and most innocent of kisses, but his mouth tingled pleasantly even as Ignis finally stepped away with a curt wave. 

“Good night, Gladio.” 

“Night Ignis, don’t be a stranger.” Recovering in record time or maybe spurred on by the tactician’s boldness, he managed to grin wolfishly with a quick wink.


End file.
